[5] Malpighi first saw the blood circulating. In 1661 he records his having seen the circulation of the blood in the frog’s lungs. Later he saw it also in the frog’s mesentery.
[6] Dr. Willis’s Translation of Harvey’s Works. Sydenham Soc. 1847.
[7] Harvey’s personal history is comparatively little concerned with the controversy which arose in establishing the truth of his discovery. His lectures and demonstrations at the College of Physicians were so convincing that he met with but slight opposition from capable critics in England. Continental professors, however, were slower to accept his teaching. “The Circulation of the Blood,” he says in his first answer to Riolan in 1649, “has now been before the world for many years, illustrated by proofs cognizable to the senses, and confirmed by numerous experiments; but no one has yet attempted opposition to it on the ground of ocular testimony. Empty assertions, baseless arguments, captious cavillings, and contumelious epithets are all that have been levelled against the doctrine and its author.” We need not, therefore, follow here the history of the final and full triumph of Harvey’s views on the Continent.
[8] That Harvey’s scientific ardour was in full operation during this journey we also learn from a remark of Hollar the artist, who accompanied the ambassador: “He would still be making of excursions into the wood, making observations of strange trees, plants, earths, &c., and sometimes like to be lost; so that my lord ambassador would be really angry with him, for there was not only danger of wild beasts, but of thieves.”
In a letter written on this journey, Harvey says: “By the way we could scarce see a dog, crow, kite, raven, or any bird, or anything to anatomize; only some few miserable people, the reliques of the war and the plague, whom famine had made anatomies before I came.”
[9] There is every reason to believe that by this course of conduct Harvey lost nothing of the King’s favour and regard. Harvey records that on several occasions the King had exhibited to him the beating heart of the chick in the shell. We learn that he placed at Harvey’s disposal several does for his experiments, and was present on various occasions at his dissections. Though it is not definitely recorded, Harvey appears to have accompanied Charles on at least one of his journeys to Scotland, and to have visited the Bass Rock. In his work on Generation he incidentally describes the seabirds which he found so abundant there.
[10] It is in reference to this that Cowley says:—
“O cursed war! who can forgive thee this?
Houses and towns may rise again,
And ten times easier ’tis